Cold starting device for use in an internal combustion engine

ABSTRACT

A cold starting device for use in an internal combustion engine which supplies starting liquid such as oil to the air intake system between a choke valve and a throttle valve of the engine before cranking of the engine in order to assist in starting the engine in winter, by increasing engine compression.

United States Patent [191 Morita COLD STARTING DEVICE FOR USE IN AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE [75] Inventor: Yasuyuki Morita, Hiroshima, Japan [73] Assignee: Toyo Kogyo Company Limited,

Hiroshima, Japan 22 Filed: Nov. 30, 1972 211 App]. No.: 310,734

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 30, 1971 Japan 46-112913 [52] US. Cl. 123/127, 123/180 R, 123/187.5 R, 123/196 M [51] Int. Cl. F02n 17/00, F02m 3/04 [58] Field of Search.... 123/187.5 R, 196 M, 198 A, 123/179 B, 180 R, 127

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,611,861 12/1926 Rushmore 123/196 M Aug. 6, 1974 1,844,764 2/1932 Innes 123/196 M 2,194,007 3/1940 Clementson 123/196 M 2,199,912 5/1940 Eilers 123/198 A X 2,592,945 4/1952 Odell 12371875 R 2,722,210 11/1955 Koonce 123/198 A FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,113,115 8/1961 Germany 123/180R Primary Examiner-Charles J. Myhre Assistant Examiner-W. Rutledge, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmSughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak [5 7] ABSTRACT A cold starting device for use in an internal combustion engine which supplies starting liquid such as oil to the air intake system between a choke valve and a throttle valve of the engine before cranking of the engine in order to assist in starting the engine in winter, by increasing engine compression.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures LOAD l 2017 1 k 1 l5 0 l3 0 8 THERMO- J8 SWITCH PAYENTEDMG 5mm SHEET 1 BF 2 THERMO- J8 SWITCH PAFENTEDAUB slam SHEET 2 U? 2 COLD STARTING DEVICE FOR USE IN AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a starting device for use in an internal combustion engine, and more particularly to a device for supplying starting liquid such as oil to the air intake system upstream of a throttle valve of the engine before cranking of the engine in order to assist starting the engine in winter.

2. Description of the Prior Art Heretofore, the cranking speed of the engine is decreased in starting an internal combustion engine in winter for lack of the torque of the starter motor due to the increase of the starting torque of the engine and the lowering of the performance of thebattery, and for lack of lubricating oil of the combustion chamber. Further, since the compression pressure of the combustion chamber becomes insufficient also, the starting of the engine becomes very difficult. In such case, as the intaken air-fuel mixture gas is extremely low at such temperatures, the moisture in the mixture gas or moisture component generated by the instantaneous combustion of initial internal explosion is brought into an operating chamber of the engine during air intake stroke, and ice adheres to the operating chamber. As a result of this, the sealing function in the operating chamber is down, at the same time, the cranking speed is low. In addition, the compression pressure becomes insufficient, so that the temperature of the compressed mixture gas does not rise with the result that the ignition of the engine is improper. Thus, even if the compressed mixture gas is ignited, its exploding force cannot increase the engine speed, so that the engine sometimes cannot be started. This particularly evident in rotary piston internal combustion engines of Wankel type having different air intake and combustion chambers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an objectf the present invention to provide a device for enabling starting an internal combustion engine in winter when the engine is almost impossible to start.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for supplying oil having lubricity and viscosity to the combustion chamber of the engine in order to eliminate the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a device for supplying the starting liquid to the air intake system, upstream of the throttle valve before cranking of the engine upon starting the engine in order to improve distribution of the starting liquid and to increase sealability as well as to avoid discrepancy of the starting liquid.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a cold starting device for supplying the starting liquid by detecting the engine temperature lower than a predetermined value with a thermosensor before cranking of the engine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of one embodiment showing the state that the cold starting device according to the present invention is mounted to the engine.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are explanatory views of another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

The mixture gas is supplied through an air cleaner 2, a carburetor 3 and air intake tube 4 to the engine 1 as known. An outlet 11 of a feed tube for supplying starting liquid being stored in a tank 7 through a check valve 9 by an electromagnetic pump 8, is opened between a throttle valve 5 and a choke valve 6 of the carburetor 3. The positive side of the battery 12 is connected to a movable contact 14 of a key switch 13. A stationary contact 15 of the key switch 13 is connected to a load 16, relay l7 and thermoswitch 18, each provided in an ignition system. This thermoswitch 18 is provided in a cooling water path of the engine 1, and it does not turn on when the cooling water has such a temperature that the engine can be normally started, while it turns on when the cooling water has such extremely low temperature that the engine cannot be started. The thermoswitch 18 is of such type as thermistor, varistor, bimetal and one utilizing heat expansion of fluid or solid, and a semiconductive amplifier can be applied when an amplification is necessary. When the thermoswitch 18 is energized in winter, solenoid 19 of the relay 17 is energized, so that normally open contacts 20 thereof close a circuit of the relay 17. Thus, a pilot lamp 22 for indicating the necessity of the starting liquid is turned on through a manual switch 21. This manual switch 21 is always closed on contact 24 of the pilotlamp 22 by a spring 23, but when a lever 25 is urged against the spring 23, it contacts contact 26 so that it energizes a timer 27 connected to the contact 26 with the result that the aforesaid electromagnetic pump 8 connected to the timer 27 is operated for a certain time. A predetermined amount of starting liquid is supplied to the feed tube 10 through the check valve 9 from the tank 7. The starting liquid being stored in the tank is required to conduct the sealing function of airtightness by its viscosity as well as provide the prevention of icing of operating mixture gas and to provide deicing. Therefore, for example, oil may be used as the starting liquid. The check valve 9 prevents the starting liquid from flowing out to the feed tube 10, when the starting liquid must not flow into the engine 1.

The operation of the thus constructed device of the present invention will now be described as follows:

If it is in winter difficult to start the engine 1 such as, for example, at 30 C., when the movable contact 14 of the key switch 13 contacts the stationary contact 15, the thermoswitch l8 detects that the cooling water temperature of the engine 1 is lower than a predetermined value and energizes the solenoid 19 so as to close the normally open contact 20, and accordingly the pilot lamp 22 is put on. Thereby, the driver pushes the lever 25 in order to move the manual switch 21 to the contact 26. For this reason, the timer 27 is energized for a predetermined time such as, for example, 2 to 3 seconds, meanwhile the electromagnetic pump 8 is operated. Therefore, this electromagnetic pump 8 supplies a predetermined amount of starting liquid from the tank 7 through the check valve to the feed tube 10. The starting liquid flows out of the opening 1 l and is retained on the throttle valve of the carburetor 3. Then, when the starting motor is rotated, the starting liquid on the throttle valve 5 is inhaled together with the mixture gas of gasoline and air to the air intake tube 4 by the vacuum in accordance with the rotation of the starting motor. At that time, since the spattering state of the starting liquid is better, it is easily mixed with the mixture gas of the air and gasoline, and then it is sprayed into the operating chamber of the engine 1 lacking lubricating oil. Therefore, not only the sealing function of air-tightness is improved, but also icing of moisture contained in the air, gasoline and exhausted gas is prevented from reaching the gap between the engine sliding parts forming the combustion chamber, and further the combustion ability is good. Thus, the engine is remarkably and easily started. When the cooling water temperature rises to such a temperature that the engine 1 can be started normally, the thermoswitch 18 cuts off the electric current, so that the normally open contact 20 of the relay 17 is opened so as to put out the pilot lamp 22.

In temperatures that the engine is normally started, the thermoswitch 18 cuts off an electric current, therefore the pilot lamp 22 is not turned on, so that it indicates that the starting liquid is not necessary.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 showing the second and third embodiments of the present invention, similar elements to the first embodiment are similarly identified. The disposition of the feed tube 10 and the thermoswitch 18 is the same as shown in FIG. 1, however, the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2 has no timer, therefore, the starting liquid is supplied by the manual switch 21, and the third embodiment shown in FIG. 3 has no manual switch, and a pilot lamp 28 for indicating the supplying state of the starting liquid is provided therefore, so that the supply of the starting liquid is automatically performed.

It should be understood from the foregoing description that since the device of the present invention is thus constructed, the displacement of supply of the starting liquid is eliminated by supplying the starting liquid from the feed tube provided between the choke valve and the throttle valve before starting the engine, the air-tightness at starting of the engine is enhanced, because of higher distribution characteristics of the starting liquid, icing taking place in the engine operating chamber at portions in sliding contact is prevented, and the wear on the sliding surface is reduced so as to improve the starting ability of the engine. Furthermore, the vacuum pressure in the suction pipe has no effect on the feed tube to prevent the leakage of the starting liquid since the feed tube opens between the choke valve and the throttle valve.

What is claimed is:

l. A cold starting device for an internal combustion engine including an air intake system having a throttle valve therein, said device comprising:

A feed tube opening at the upstream side of the throttle valve in said air intake system,

supply means for supplying a starting liquid having a property of air-tightness for the combustion chamber to the feed tube before cranking of the engine, to prevent gas leakage from the combustion chamber, thereby improving the starting ability of the engine,

a thermosensor for detecting engine temperature and circuit means including switching means operatively coupled to said supply means and responsive to thermosensor operation for operating said supply means when the engine temperature detected by said thermosensor is lower than a predetermined value.

2. The cold starting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said supply means comprises an electric pump operated by a battery power source.

3. The cold starting device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said electric pump is connected through a timer to the battery power source so as to operate for a predetermined time when the engine temperature detected by the thermosensor is lower than said predetermined value.

4. The cold starting device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said starting liquid is oil.

5. A cold starting device for an internal combustion engine including an air intake system having a throttle valve therein, said device comprising:

a feed tube opening at the upstream side of the throttle valve in said air intake system,

supply means for supplying a starting liquid having a property of air-tightness for the combustion cham ber to the feed tube before cranking of the engine, to prevent gas leakage from the combustion chamber, thereby improving the starting ability of the engine,

a thermosensor for detecting engine temperature and circuit means including indicating means operatively coupled to said thermosensor and responsive thereto for indicating the need for operation of said supply means when the engine temperature detected by said thermosensor is lower than a predetermined value, said circuit means having switching means operatively coupled to said supply means.

6. The cold starting device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said supply means comprises an electric pump operated by a battery power source.

7. The cold starting device as set forth in claim 6, wherein said electric pump is connected through a timer to the battery power source so as to operate for a predetermined time when the engine temperature detected by the thermosensor is lower than said predetermined value.

8. The cold starting device as set forth in claim 5,

wherein the starting liquid is oil. 

1. A cold starting device for an internal combustion engine including an air intake system having a throttle valve therein, said device comprising: A feed tube opening at the upstream side of the throttle valve in said air intake system, supply means for supplying a starting liquid having a property of air-tightness for the combustion chamber to the feed tube before cranking of the engine, to prevent gas leakage from the combustion chamber, thereby improving the starting ability of the engine, a thermosensor for detecting engine temperature and circuit means including switching means operatively coupled to said supply means and responsive to thermosensor operation for operating said supply means when the engine temperature detected by said thermosensor is lower than a predetermined value.
 2. The cold starting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said supply means comprises an electric pump operated by a battery power source.
 3. The cold starting device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said electric pump is connected through a timer to the battery power source so as to operate for a predetermined time when the engine temperature detected by the thermosensor is lower than said predetermined value.
 4. The cold starting device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said starting liquid is oil.
 5. A cold starting device for an internal combustion engine including aN air intake system having a throttle valve therein, said device comprising: a feed tube opening at the upstream side of the throttle valve in said air intake system, supply means for supplying a starting liquid having a property of air-tightness for the combustion chamber to the feed tube before cranking of the engine, to prevent gas leakage from the combustion chamber, thereby improving the starting ability of the engine, a thermosensor for detecting engine temperature and circuit means including indicating means operatively coupled to said thermosensor and responsive thereto for indicating the need for operation of said supply means when the engine temperature detected by said thermosensor is lower than a predetermined value, said circuit means having switching means operatively coupled to said supply means.
 6. The cold starting device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said supply means comprises an electric pump operated by a battery power source.
 7. The cold starting device as set forth in claim 6, wherein said electric pump is connected through a timer to the battery power source so as to operate for a predetermined time when the engine temperature detected by the thermosensor is lower than said predetermined value.
 8. The cold starting device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the starting liquid is oil. 